Despite Everything
by SummersSixEcho
Summary: [OneShot] After a fight with Valerie, Danny is left wounded with one question in mind: is she really worth all the risk?


**Notes: **Well. this is a one-shot requested by Shibby-One. I know it's late for a Christmas story, but I hope you still enjoy it.

**Disclaimer: **Danny Phantom and all related characters belong to Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon.**  
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* * *

**Despite Everything**

Rose and emerald lights adorned the sky of Elmerton on that cold December night, fitting perfectly with the holiday hue. However, the source of such a colorful display was not the conventional Christmas decorations. It had started mere minutes after nightfall when the mysterious Red Huntress spotted a certain ghost kid soaring above the small town.

"You're not going to ruin Christmas this year, _spook_!" Valerie shouted as she fired another dark pink beam from the weapon on her wrist. She couldn't really understand why the ever elusive Danny Phantom had decided to show up _that_ night and near her apartment. She supposed he had some kind of after-death wish or something during this time of the year.

Danny, on the other hand, was worried about how things were going. _This can't get any worse_, he thought as he dodged yet another blast from his once almost-girlfriend. He tightened his grip on the package in his left hand and tried to keep it out of her sight. Though, to be honest, he wasn't sure it mattered anymore. After trying to get her off his tail for the past hour, he almost wanted to abort his original plan for the evening.

The half ghost created a shield with his right hand to deflect a new set of oncoming attacks. "Valerie, _please_, for the last time: I'm _not_ trying to ruin Christmas!" he yelled in a rather tired tone. _What was I thinking? I shouldn't have come here. _He mentally kicked himself for not planning things through. Sure, he had to be home early and the aerial route was the fastest way to get to Elmerton, but was the risk worth it?

The dark-skinned girl summoned a large gun from her suit's backpack and held it over her shoulder. "Do you think I'm that gullible, Phantom?" she asked as she shot in his direction. "You've been nothing but trouble! And don't think I've forgotten about the time you tried to kill me!"

In other circumstances, Danny would have just countered her statement by claiming his innocence. Unfortunately, her last attack was so fierce he didn't have enough time to even think as he attempted to avoid her blasts. He successfully managed to evade two of her shots, but a third one hit his left shoulder, which caused him to drop his package.

His focus on his surroundings began to blur as pain filled his senses and a green substance started to come out of his new wound. _Ectoplasm_, he dizzily noted as he crashed on a nearby rooftop. _At least I'm still in ghost mode._

Smirking triumphantly, Valerie Gray followed her descending enemy and prepared a new gun to finish him once and for all. She thought her contempt felt wrong, considering the time of the year, but she immediately tried to dismiss those feelings. _It's the right thing to do, isn't it? He's only trying to hurt people, so why shouldn't I get rid of him?_

Danny got on his knees, clutching his shoulder and wincing in pain. He saw next to him the blue box he dropped, but his attention soon focused (or tried to focus) on Valerie as he saw her approaching on her jet sled. _I have to get out of here_, he thought. Using the only escape route he could think of at the moment, he picked the box and phased through the roof and into the building, hoping the girl wouldn't follow somehow.

Valerie wasn't happy at all. He got away! She was so close to finishing him at last… But she had promised her dad she wouldn't cause any property damage. _It's not like I'm destructive or anything, I'm just trying to save the day!_ She considered going after him by using her tracker, but the sudden beeping of her watch told her she should probably get back home. _At least he's injured. I doubt he can cause any trouble tonight. I hope._

The first thing Danny noticed as he phased all the way to the lobby of the aforementioned building was how dark and silent it was. And messy. Dusty furniture seemed to be carelessly scattered all over the place. The sight of old spider webs almost everywhere he looked at told him the rest: the building was abandoned.

Sighing in relief at the lack of witnesses, he immediately transformed back to his human form. Now as Fenton, Danny slumped against a column near the (surprisingly) unchained entrance. _At least I won't have to struggle to get out of this place. I just hope Valerie didn't decide to follow me in here._ He soon forgot about that part of his dilemma when he felt a sharp pain on his shoulder.

"Oh, come on! It never hurts this much when I transform!" he hissed to no one in particular as he tried to ignore the stinging sensation. To his relief, his stainless red jacket seemed like enough proof that he at least wasn't bleeding anymore.

_I should probably go back home. Maybe Jazz will be lenient this time and won't lecture me about my injuries and my stubbornness._

But as soon as he glanced at the blue box in his gloveless hand, he hesitated in his decision. He had, after all, come all the way to Elmerton to give Valerie her Christmas present. It wasn't the best gift in the world or anything fancy that would conquer her heart. It was something simple and modest, but it was especially meant for _her._ He spent countless hours looking for the perfect gift but nothing seemed good enough. It ended up being something symbolic even if it wasn't expensive. Besides, being meaningful was all that mattered in Christmas, right?

He chuckled humorlessly to himself and soon regretted it when he felt the same pain on his shoulder. What would the gift really mean to her if she knew the truth behind everything? What if she knew she almost went steady with her most despised enemy? The sheer irony of the whole situation actually made him laugh, no longer caring about the discomfort caused by his wound. If anyone else had seen him that moment, they'd think he had finally gone insane, but the tear that almost rolled down his cheek could put that statement in doubt.

_I already went through all that trouble, so the least I can do is give Valerie her present._

With a rather tired sigh, he stood up and found his way out of the building. Her apartment wasn't too far from where he was. He walked the rest of the way there, trying not to pay any attention to the pain. Least of all, the one in his heart.

* * *

Valerie shook her head when she heard the third knock on the front door. "You forgot your keys again, didn't you, dad?" she asked as she reached the lock and turned the doorknob. But the figure in front of her wasn't Damon Gray, like she supposed. Instead, a somewhat worn out teenager stood at the entrance. "Danny? I didn't expect to see you here," she exclaimed with a smile while she tried not to blush. "Come in."

The blue-eyed boy weakly returned her smile and walked into her apartment. She directed him to the couch and they both sat in silence. "Is something wrong?" Valerie asked as she noticed Danny's lack of spirit. She also noticed he carried a box wrapped in a blue paper that matched his eyes, but decided not to comment anything about it.

Danny wasn't sure of what to say or even think. How could someone be tired of something and still be in love with the one responsible of said annoyance? Maybe he wasn't really in love. Maybe it was just a stupid crush. But could a crush make him feel as torn as he felt?

"Have you ever felt that, no matter what you do or say, you will never be able to change someone's opinion of you?" he questioned in a soft tone, not really expecting an answer. "Or that despite all those efforts, things will never be easy and you should simply give up?"

Valerie raised an eyebrow, a clear sign of confusion. "Danny, what are you talking about?" she inquired, genuinely concerned.

Danny shook his head weakly and turned to face her. "Nothing. I just… I don't even know how to continue fighting," he replied. "I _have_ been trying, but things just get more complicated and I don't even know how to fix it."

A sudden silence fell upon the both of them. Trying to approach the matter carefully, the girl grabbed his free hand and entwined her fingers with his. "Maybe it's not up to you to fix things," she said as she gave him a sympathetic look. "But if you still want to keep fighting, you just have to ask yourself: is it truly worth it? And if it is, does the rest matter at all?"

His hand squeezed hers slightly before he released it from her grip. He really didn't know what the answer was for either question. So, instead of musing any further about it (or more than he already had on his way there), he handed her the box. "I got you a present," he spoke bluntly.

The girl seemed taken aback for a second. Something was definitely wrong with him, but she decided not to push it and wait for him to talk when he was ready. She gave him an awkward grin as she tried to put aside her worry. "Oh, thanks. That's very sweet of you."

The box wasn't heavy at all and the wrapping was really simple. She thought it might be a scarf or something along those lines. Conventional, but the thought still counted. Especially coming from the boy she liked, even if she had fought hard to hide her interest for him in case some ghost tried to use it against her. Again.

She continued opening the present until she uncovered the contents inside: a purple top and a Stellarbucks gift card. "It's my way of apologizing," Danny explained before Valerie could say a word. "I know I can't fix everything no matter how hard I try, but I wanted to at least replace two of the things I ruined last year: your shirt and the coffee I spilled all over it."

Valerie stared speechless at the two objects on her lap, not even caring that the shirt wasn't one of the latest trends. It really was _so_ last year. But what she couldn't believe was how he even remembered that day. She did, for more reasons than one, which involved Phantom, her dad's job, and her popularity. But why would Danny remember something that happened so long ago? Did he know how much that day meant to her?

"I don't know what to say," she managed to whisper, still incredulous. "I… how… You remembered the top I was wearing that day?"

The now blushing boy nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. I know it was a really bad day for you, but at the end those events brought us together. I wouldn't be _here_ sitting with _you_ if it weren't for that day." _Though, come to think about it, you wouldn't be _hunting_ me either,_ he thought rather bitterly as the pain on his shoulder reminded him of their previous fight.

_I can't,_ Valerie told herself as she avoided his gaze (not that he was looking at her, anyway). _I can't get involved with him if I want him to be safe. What if the ghost kid tries to hurt him to get to me? _She discreetly looked at him from the corner of her eye. She could tell he was already hurt. If not by her, something else was bugging him to the point of making him look so lost and almost depressed. She suddenly gasped. _Oh, god. He _**is**_ hurt.. literally!_ "Danny! You're bleeding!" the surprised girl exclaimed as she tried to reach his injured shoulder.

Danny snapped out of his musings at the sound of her frantic words. He noticed the blood on his jacket and he almost panicked. _Crud. This can't be good._ "I, uh, got accidentally hit by an ecto-gun?" he lamely tried to explain.

"How the heck did _that_ happen?" she asked while she took off his jacket. "Jeez, didn't you notice you were bleeding when you put your shirt on?" As soon as she said it, she quickly stood up and ran to her room to get the first aid kit. She returned in a matter of seconds and began looking for some gauze and antiseptic in the kit. "Take off your shirt," she ordered and immediately blushed. _Smooth, Gray._

Danny's face reddened as well and he laughed nervously. "Shouldn't we take this slowly?"

"Real mature, Fenton," she replied in a dry tone, though her embarrassment was still noticeable. "Just let me take care of that injury."

Reluctant but still obeying, Danny took off his shirt to allow the girl to clean his wound and patch it up. Valerie involuntarily winced when she saw the bleeding gash exposed. The flesh seemed almost burnt, but that was to be expected from a blast like the one he supposedly received. "Hold still. This will just hurt a bit," she ineffectively tried to convince him as she began to treat the wound. Danny hissed and grimaced but didn't yell once, Val noticed. Maybe he had been beat up so many times by Dash that he was already used to the pain of an injury, though it still seemed odd.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" she questioned once more as she continued cleaning the burnt skin.

Danny remained silent as he used all the strength he had left to endure the pain. What would he tell her? The truth? Not a bright option considering she had her hands on his damaged shoulder. "I don't know," he answered instead. "I just need to think about… _everything_. It's all just so confusing." _And ironic, but you won't hear me saying that out loud unless I want to come clean._

Valerie frowned as she finished covering his injury. Part of his charm had always been his clumsiness, the sincerity in his eyes, and those cute heartfelt smiles. But _this _Danny seemed tired and conflicted. _What happened to you that you don't want to talk about, Danny?_ It intrigued and worried her to no end.

Not really thinking about her actions, the sight of the hurt boy brought her closer to him until her lips met his. She kissed him softly as if she could take away his ache that way. But as soon as he touched her check and kissed her back, she stopped. The possibilities of a doomed relationship still scared her. _I can't… I'm only going to hurt him more._ Moving slightly away from him, she lowered her head. "I'm sorry," Valerie whispered. "Not all injuries get better with a kiss, right?" The young huntress chuckled nervously while Danny looked at her with curiosity.

The young man's mind was still lost in that kiss, the taste of her lips, the delicacy of her movements… but she put everything to a halt with another barrier. Danny wanted to scream, to tell her that nothing bad was going to happen if they gave it a try. He knew she mostly wanted to protect him from… _him_, ironically. But what if she never stopped seeing his ghost half as an enemy?

Danny shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I know you just want us to be friends," he said somewhat dejectedly. Trying to avoid the stinging sensation on his shoulder, he slowly put his shirt and jacket back on, standing up as soon as he finished. "I should probably go home."

Those words really struck Valerie. She _didn't_ want them to be just friends. It was something she had to do to protect him, but not something she really _wanted_ to do. But how would she be able to explain that? He didn't need that kind of complications in his life. Besides, he was perfect the way he was: a normal guy with a huge heart and a rather difficult dream he was willing to achieve. The last thought reminded her of something she almost forgot…

"Wait!" Valerie quickly exclaimed before he could reach the door. "I forgot to give you your gift." She smiled while he gave her another confused look. Dashing to her room once more, Valerie retrieved an envelope from one of her drawers and returned to give it to Danny. "I was going to give it to you tomorrow, but since you're already here…."

He really didn't expect anything from her, so this was a nice surprise. He opened the envelope and pulled out what seemed to be like two tickets. "The Level Nine Tour at Houston's Space Center?" he read aloud excitedly as his eyes widened in disbelief. "You gotta be kidding me… I've wanted to go there for years!"

"Well, now you won't have to wait any longer," the girl said, clearly glad that he enjoyed his present while also almost hoping he would forget about the kiss. "My dad already talked to your parents and he's going to take us next Tuesday."

Danny couldn't really believe what he was hearing. "Wait, your _dad_ is going to drive us there? But I thought he didn't like me that much. He told me to keep my family's ghostly weirdness away from you," he added with a soft chuckle.

She frowned slightly at the last statement. "Danny, my dad thinks you're a great guy," she said in a serious tone. "He's the one who told me about the tickets. Even if he doesn't want me near anything or anyone that involves ghosts, he likes you despite everything."

_Despite everything,_ Danny's mind repeated. She knew him well enough to give him such a valuable and meaningful gift like that. Even after all that happened between them as ghost hunters, she managed to make things better without even realizing it. She really knew how to treat his wounds, both physical and emotional. It wasn't the gift itself that put things into a new perspective. What got to him was the reminder that, despite everything, they could still try to be normal teenagers and fight against all odds to fulfill their dreams.

"I-I don't know what to say," he stuttered after a few seconds. "Thank you. This was really an amazing surprise."

Valerie was equally surprised as he hugged her warmly. "Hey, anything to bring you out of that sour mood," she said with a heartfelt smile, which was soon replaced with uncertainty as she pulled away from his embrace. "Listen, Danny. About the kiss? I…"

"Don't say anything, Val," he said softly. "I know you're worried that things can get too complicated if we become something more than just friends. Heck, I'm as worried as you are. But maybe this is one of those things worth fighting for. Just… don't say a word. We don't have to decide anything right now." His hand reached to touch her cheek once again and she just remained silent.

But what could she say to that anyway? Valerie didn't have a clue. All of the sudden, the perfect image she had of Danny had a whole new puzzle. There was still much more about him she had to figure out, but she didn't need to know now. She simply decided to enjoy the silence between them as they stared into each other's eyes.

The sound of the phone ringing suddenly snapped them out of their brief reverie. Feeling a bit silly, both teens chuckled. "I should really go home, Val," Danny exclaimed as the phone rang a second time. "Thank you for everything."

Valerie smiled once again and just gave him a peck on the cheek. "No, Danny. Thank _you_. Call me tomorrow?"

The boy simply nodded in reply. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," the girl repeated before she closed the door behind him.

Danny sighed as he heard the faint sound of a greeting as Valerie picked up the phone. A second later, he went ghost and took off to his home. He didn't know how things would be between them the next day, but he had hopefully found the answer to one of the many questions bugging him.

Was she truly worth it? Despite everything, she was. Maybe the rest didn't really matter as long as he was willing to continue fighting.


End file.
